


Tails we Will,  Heads We Won't

by karrenia_rune



Category: Static Shock
Genre: Community: smallfandomfest, Developing Relationship, M/M, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-05
Updated: 2018-06-05
Packaged: 2019-05-18 16:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14855799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune
Summary: Three Times Richie almost admitted that he had a crush on Virgil and one time he actually did.





	Tails we Will,  Heads We Won't

Disclaimer: Static Shock belongs to the WB, DCU animated verse, and its producers and creators: it is not mine and is only 'borrowed' for the purposes of the story.  
For Round 23 of Small Fandoms Fest

"Tails We Will, Tails We Won't"

 

For Richie's part, it much less complicated and at the same time, just as t complicated. He's wanted to tell Virgil that he likes him, in that way, but he's never had the courage to do so for a while now and he does not want to ruin their friendship, and it's never really become an issue. Virgil has never really cared overmuch about high school, even before the event that changed all of their lives; and now that he's had to learn to balance his personal everyday teenage life with that of being the local superhero Static Shock; well, it just makes this a bit more complicated than they were before. 

 

Richie insists when Richie gets that certain look in his eye and rolls up his sleeves and explains his scientific principles so fast that Virgil only manages to catch the drift of things; well, yeah, Virgil's pretty much a goner. Like now.

So, he's watches his friend as he looks bored sitting behind a display table: Earlier that week, while they'd been working on the cofounded contraption together on weekends and in-between fighting super-villains, he still did not kind understand how the thing worked. Something about inverting polarities, which he gets, and converting mass and density of solid objects: which he does not get. "Oh, It's a shrink ray," Virgil says.

Richie just grins and says, "Sure, if you want to be simplistic about it."

Richie is beaming and his glasses are hanging just off kilter over the bridge of his nose and he's holding up a shiny bright blue ribbon for first place and Virgil can't help thinking that Richie is darn adorable and he really should not be thinking these kinds of things about his best friend, but, his mind refuses to follow directions and Virgil reaches out to give his friend a congratulate thump on the shoulder. 

'Congrats, dude, "I knew you'd win."

"Hmph, Richie," scoffs. "How so? If memory serves, not too long ago you seemed to have serious doubts about our project."

"Our project?" Virgil asks.

"Well, when I submitted for consideration I may have put both of our names on the application. I talked your parents, and they told me that your grades were: how did they put, taken a dramatic tailspin, and if I couldn't do something to help turn them around.'" 

"Oh, Uh," Virgil," stammered uncertain of just how to react to this news, and suddenly finding himself on uncertain footing, and unable to make eye-contact, settled for running his hands through his black hair mussing the unruly tight unruly curls. 

"Virgil, dude," drawls Richie in that way that only he can, "You have a good mind, well, sometimes, you just need to apply yourself more."

"You sound just like all my teachers and my parents,"

"Yeah," and Richie stuffs his hands into his jean pockets and, suddenly he, too, appears to find himself at a loss for words, "They're not wrong."

"Maybe, Maybe, The hell if I know." 

"Thanks, Mr. and M. Hawkins," Richie said, and he's wishing that the time had just stood still so he can get the words out, He has a crush on his best friend. Damn!" he mentally gripes. 'If only, they...."

"If only what?" Virgil asks.

****

One afternoon they're playing catch in the back-yard and just to make it that much more interesting Richie suggests that Virgil use his powers to magnetize the ball. Virgil balks, but Richie insists because it's not an unfair advantage if they can mix their downtime with a little training and it might be good practice in finding novel uses for his power.

And when Virgil smiles that adorable grin something within Richie just cracks.

Virgil powers up and the ball glows with a white-hot light and he throws it across the grassy expanse of the yard. Richie calculates its trajectory, arc, and spin, but not nearly enough and the ball hits him in the chest and he falls backward with an audible oomph.

"Hey, man! You okay!" And he thinks back to the previous week when he wanted to admit that he has a crush on his best friend, because the very idea of Richie getting hurt; even if was an accident' suddenly makes him an emotional mess.

"Yeah, Yeah, I'm fine. Just get this thing off of me. Hmm, we should try that again with another substance other than rubber and leather."

"You seriously want to try that again?" Virgil takes the magnetized ball and it's more like peeling it off, it fizzles and burns and sparks and his drop-kicks it away.

"Why not," Richie shrugs and stands up. "It works on those garbage can lids you insist on using during a fight so it stands to reason it should work on other things as well."

"Oh, Okay. But not, today."

"Agreed," You wanna go back to playing catch the old-fashioned way?"

"Yeah, whatever, man."

"  
A week later and they're fighting in a deserted junkyard and this time it's Virgil who is injured and Richie or rather Gear, that's his code-name: is leaning over him and concerned line furrowing his brow and his fiddling with the controls on his BackPack, for the medical stuff.

Virgil has no idea of all of Richie has programmed into that thing, but, oh, boy, is he glad that he did, his legs are going numb and he's bleeding, from his nose and ears, from that sonic screech, and other injuries. 

While he's glad that they sent the bad guys running, but he's also mad at himself that he let them get the drop on him. 

"Hey, Virgil, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, Yeah, I hear you."

"You're going to be okay.

"Yeah, man, I know I am."

"How's that?" Richie demands as he straightens up and restores the BackPack to its default settings more relieved than he cares to admit that his best friend is going to be just fine.

"Cause we're a team......."

"Please tell me, you're not gonna all sentimental on me, Note: Date and Time: Best friend is loopy from either blood loss or the dosage of medication."

Virgil shrugged and stood up, rather unsteady on his feet, but glad to be upright once more.

"Damn it, Virge," Richie exclaims and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've wanted to for a long time now....and well, it's Damn! I have a crush on you! There I said it."

Drawn it out as slowly as possible, as there was an infinite amount of space between each of the individual words, "You have a crush on me?" 

"You knew?" Richie stammered.

"Yes, well, not so much, but I had a pretty good feeling about. Let's go home." Richie grinned and drummed his fingers against his uniform pants legs. This was a good thing; a very good thing.


End file.
